Valve mechanism for vacuum feed devices.



w. JAY. VALVE MECHANISM FOR VACUUM FEED DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1918. 1,293,789. Patented 1 61.11, 1919.

M Z? Y 4/ Uhlil TATE PATENT F1@@ WEBB JAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR VACUUM FEED DEVICES.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, WEBB JAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and the State of Illinois, have invented certain ncwand useful improvements in Valve Mechanism for Vacuum Feed Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a. part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and economical valve mechanism in the form of a. unitary fitting, to be used in the well understood type of liquid feeding apparatus employing alternation of suction and atmospheric pressure for lifting the liquid from a lower to a higher level. The invention consists in the features and elements of construction hereinafter described and shown in the drawings as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a liquid feeding system of the type to which this invention is applicable.

Fig, 2 is a vertical section of the so-called vacuum tank which is the upper receptacle for liquid embodying a chamber in which the alternation of suction and atmospheric pressure is effected, and another chamber in which the elevated liquid is stored for use. This view shows in section the fitting including the valve mechanism embodying this invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of a valve mechanism of a slightly modified form which may be substituted for that shown in Fig. 2.

Referring first to Fig. 2 ot' the drawings, the tank, or chamber, 1, will be recognized as the usual outer chamber of an apparatus of this type having suspended within it a slightly smaller chamber, 2, inclosing a float,

3, supported on one arm, 1, of the bell crank, whose other arm, 5, is connected by a spring, (3, to a lever, 7, lulcrumcd on the pivot of the bell crank, and extending up through an opening, 8, in the cover of the chamber, Over the opening, 5, is mounted a fitting, 9, which is provided with two openings, one leading to a screen, 10, through which atmosphere may bcadmittcd and the other leading to a pipe, 11, Which as indicated in Fig. 1, is connected to a source of suction such as the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. These two openings of the fit- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1191.9.

Application filed April 8, 1918. Serial No. 227,362

ting, 9, are controlled respectively by valves, 12 and 13, carried at opposite ends of a common pin or rod, 14-, whose end portions are shown as threaded for receiving said valve members, while enlarged portions,'15 and 16, of said valve stem or rod, 14, serve both as stops to limit the position of valves,

12 and 13, when they are applied to the threaded ends of the stem, and also provide abutments on said stem to engage the upper end of the lever, 7, which may be apertured or forked for the purpose.

It may be understood that liquid entering the chamber, 2, through the supply pipe, 17,

which may lead from any convenient source of supply at a position lower than that of the chamber, 2, will be drawn into said chamber, 2, by virtue of the reduced pressure therein, so long as an adequate degree of suction is maintained in the pipe, 11, and valve, 13, remains open; but, as the quantity of liquid in chamber, 2, increases and carries the float, 3, upward with it Within the chamber the resulting angular movement of the bell crank to Whose arm, 4, the float is attached will carry the spring, 6, past the fulcrum of said bell crank, causing it to pullupon the lever, 7 from the opposite side, and to swing said lever along the middle reduced portion of the valve rod, 14:, against the abutment formed by the enlarged portion, 15, thus moving the valve rod,'1- l, in direction to close the valve, 13, and open valve, 12, for admitting atmospheric pressure to the chamber, 2. The partial vacuum in the chamber being thus dissipated, the check valve, 18. at the bottom of chamber, 2,

heretofore held closed by :the reduced pressure in the chamber, will automatically open permitting the liquid contents to discharge by gravity into the outer chamber or receptacle, 1, and, thence to flow by gravity through the pipe, 19, to carburetor, 20, of an internal combustion engine, 21, seen in the diagram of Fig. 1. Such gravity flow from the chamber, 1, is rendered possible-at all times by the provision of an air vent, 22, in said chamber, and it'will be understood, of course, that the main supply tank, 23, from which pipe, 17, leads, is also subject to atmospheric pressure.

As shown in Fig. 2 the fitting, 9, is formed with a foot flange, 241, which may its seat.

packing material interposed at '26. The screen, 10, is held in posit on by a threaded cap, 27, and a corresponding cap, 28, 1s screwed onto the other end of the fitting and arranged. to receive the coupling from the pipe, 11. The valves, 12 and 1 3, are slidably supported in the small chambers provlded for them respectively at opposite sides of the openings which they control, the Walls of such chambers being formed with guide ribs, 29.

seating on the inner sides of their ports insteadpf on the outer sides as in Fig.2. In this fitting, 9", a slightly modified form of lever, 7 opcratesthe valve substantially as in the other form and the remaining parts are .quite similar to those in Fig. 2, except that the valve members are provided with guides, 30, projecting from the members themselves, and riding upon the smooth cylindrical walls oflthe chambers between the ports and the passages controlled tl -weby. These guides, 30, are merely radial ribs preferably three in number on each valve, p'rojecting into contact with the cylindrical wall, upon which they travel a short distance in the seating and unseating movement.

I claim:

1. In a liquid feeding apparatus including a supply tank, an auxiliary chamber and a source of suction, a valve fitting for said chamber comprising a pair of opposed ports opening to a common passage which communicates with the chamber, a'pair of valves for said ports respectively, and a common valve stem on which they are'mounted and spaced apart by distance different from that between the two valve seats, means guiding said stem for oscillation for alternate seat-q ing of said valves, one valve controlli ga connection with the source 'of suction, and the other controlling an atmospheric vent, and means controlled by the liquid in said chamber effecting such oscillation.

In the combination set forth in claim 1, said liquid-controlled means comprising a fioat in said chamber and a lever connected thereto and engaging between said valves for effecting such oscillation of their stem.

3. In the combination set forth in claim "1, said liqi'iid-controlled'means including a lever fulcrumed in the chamber, a float connected to one arm of the lever, a second lever on the same fulcrum connected'to the other arm of the first by a spring and extending to engage between said valves for controlling them. i i

i. In the combination set out in-'claim 1, said valve stem having shoulders spaced apart between said valves, and the means controlled by the liquid in the chamber ineluding a lever mounted to play between said shoulders and to move farther than'the distance between them" for alternately seating said valves.

In the combination set out in claims 1 and 4:, a second lever on thesame fulcrum 

